Wings of Deceit

Epilogue

The sight of Silverwood Village coming into view after trekking for another few days through the forest was one I was sure I'd be happy to see — that was until plumes of smoke and homes sitting in ruins were what we returned to. Our journey back home had been uneventful, which could only mean one thing. Now that the Lyre was gone, there was nothing holding the darkness-plagued creatures back, and they had already made their way through the village.

The evidence of that was clear from the streaks of darkness across the homes that had been destroyed.

Once we had made it out of the cave and the Dragon-borns were no longer in sight, we found some conveniently placed hand and foot holds all the way back down the mountain. Each one was made out of the transparent magic both the Queen and Larc had used, leaving me to wonder who had left them behind for us. Haera had been very wary to trust them after what had happened and her last encounter with climbing the mountain, but they had been safe enough to get us all the way to the bottom.

Now, as Haera and I stood at the edge of the village, we didn't know what to do. Were the creatures still here? Was anyone still alive? Was our mother okay?

My sister led us to our home, steel finding its way to her hands as she flinched at every sound that didn't come from us. The small cottage we had last visited days ago was now a shell of its former self. Its windows had been shattered and the door had been broken down, claw marks engraved into the remains of the wood. The furniture inside our home had been knocked over and ravaged, but there were no signs of blood other than Larc's on the dining table.

Our mother was safe — she had to be.

"We need to find her and fast," Haera said as she charged out of our torn home, her breaths coming out in sharp, quick movements. "She has to still be here somewhere. The smart thing for her to do would be to leave, but she wouldn't do that without us."

As we headed further into Silverwood, a few villagers called us over, welcoming us back and ushering us over to the Temple to be seen and help with the injured. My power was a true blessing in a time like this. My sister had demanded answers out of the young girl that greeted us and we had discovered the creatures that had run rampant with fury in their eyes had avoided it completely, making it the perfect safe haven.

The Temple was a place of harmony and tranquillity, a place where anyone could come and hear stories of the Goddess's past or experience her magic to have wounds healed. However, as we stepped inside, everything was far from peaceful.

On one side of the Temple, benches had been turned into makeshift beds to hold injured villagers, the small side rooms that were kept as infirmaries already overflowing. Volunteers rushed between each patient, hoping to ease any pain and seal any wounds they could with herbs, needles, and thread, but nothing compared to the Goddess's magic. I needed to get out there and help them.

"Haera! Zofia!" Our mother cried as she ran towards us and pulled us into her arms. She squeezed us so tightly that I was afraid she would break a few ribs. Her tears soaked through our shirts until she pulled away. "What were you thinking?" Her voice echoed throughout the Temple, causing people to stop and stare in our direction. "All you left me was a note! A note! You could have at least stopped to talk to me about your plans before giving me a heart attack. I nearly charged straight into that forest before some of the village guards held me back. You're lucky you came back alive or... or-" Tears welled in her eyes once more and spilt down her cheeks.

I pulled our mother into my arms and hugged her tightly, not wanting to ever let her go again. The way her chest shook with each breath had my heart breaking into tiny splinters. My hand rubbed circles on her back, soothing her so she could calm down.